Overseas service personnel

[flip-flop]

Isn't it about time our service personnel operating overseas in the likes of Iraq and Afghanistan be exempt from income tax?

They are not particularly well paid as it is, so shouldn't we help them out?

I'd happilly have a penny or two on my income tax to pay for it.

[flip-flop]

To clarify - I'm talking about the men and women in conflict areas as opposed to the guys in Germany, Cyprus and the like.

[jake-the-peg]

Ah well there's the difficulty.

Do you mean active service personel, what about those not in the front line in active service areas? How about peace keeping forces?

It gets a bit murkey.

Personally if I were going to have to pay extra income tax I can think of places it would be better spent than giving a pay rises to soldiers

[anotheoldgit]

I am all in agreement, I think that our armed forces are treated shockingly not only financially but also in their equiptment.
Most times they have to buy their own, I wonder if they can claim some of this back off the income tax as tools for the trade, just as in civvy street?
Regarding their very poor pay. Why can't they claim danger money when they are in conflic areas? And why are they not paid the same rate of pay such as the police or fire services?

[noxlumos]

Why would you join a job where you might get your head blown off for �5.00 per hour or whatever it is? Surely they are aware of rates of pay before they join?

[jedimistress]

And who is going to pay for the billion pound wars? I don't want to pay extra to fund them thanks.

I think the military wage is a good one. Plus perks like free accomodation, subsidized bars. NAAFI's etc. They pay you through your university. Loads of benefits, just see down the ACO.

[johnlambert]

Free accomodation? the only time it's free jedi is when we are on an operational tour, (would you pay to live in a fire trench)? apart from that, servicemen and women pay food and accomodation charges.

[johnlambert]

Sorry, should have been "when we were on a tour", I've been out since May 2004 but I dont think things have changed much since then

[Le Chat]

What is the rate of pay for the differing ranks of service personnel? Anyone know?

[johnlambert]

they get a daily rate, paid monthly, when I left I was an RAMC S/Sgt on �68.77 there are also differing rate depending on experience and allowances for being on tours ect. Also there is a thing called X factor, which I belive is an extra %age ( I cant rememer what it was as I didnt volunteer to accept it), but you need to go anywhere the Army sends you at any time no matter what. IE a Capt in my last unit had go to Afghanistan the day he and his his wife were booked to fly to Florida on holiday

[jedimistress]

My mistake. Although I think the food and accomodation are secure, and at preferential rates.

[Booldawg]

I see a lot of shops with the 'tax free for tourists' stickers in the windows. Don't see why our boys and girls overseas shouldn't get a better deal with tax breaks.

[Oneeyedvic]

Yes - accomodation may not be free but it is subsidised.

Sorry, but if you don't like the wages, the tax, the perks, the fact that you may get blown up - don't join!

[pixie_woo]

I have previously looked at military pay vs. civilian pay in jobs with similar descriptions and of equal responsability (My husband is serving in the forces).
The difference in pay was about �10,000 p.a
On the other hand I can't complain about the rent we pay on our MOD house compared to my "civie" friends.

[Kathyan]

Have you got that right johnlambert? My husband is in the army and a SSgt. He's on a daily rate of �93.42. The wages haven't gone up that much!

[johnlambert]

Being in the RAMC we didnt get "trade pay" as a CMT1 (Combat Med Teq class 1) we were about the same as a civvie parmedic but not in the same pay band, also my last posting was as an recruit instructor (my S/Sgt rank was acting, not substansive, so really I was a Sgt ;(

[Kathyan]

OK, john. It just seemed a low amount to the amount my OH is getting! Having said that, it's still not enough for the hours he puts in.

[dyli795]

I don't know how things stand at the moment, or how accurate it is but i once heared somewhere H.M.Prisoners had their council tax taken care of whereas anyone in the forces didn't. There's a lot of things I don't understand in this world but things like that realy make me wonder.